''Judith of Bethulia'' (

1914 This year saw the beginning of what became known as World War I, after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austrian throne was Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, assassinated by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip. It als ...

) is an American film starring

Blanche Sweet Sarah Blanche Sweet (June 18, 1896 – September 6, 1986) was an American silent film actress who began her career in the earliest days of the Hollywood motion picture film industry. Early life Born Sarah Blanche Sweet (though her first nam ...

and

Henry B. Walthall Henry Brazeale Walthall (March 16, 1878 – June 17, 1936) was an American stage and film actor. He appeared as the Little Colonel in D. W. Griffith's ''The Birth of a Nation'' (1915). Early life Henry B. Walthall was born March 16, 1878 on a ...

, and produced and directed by D. W. Griffith, based on the play "Judith and the Holofernes" (1896) by

Thomas Bailey Aldrich Thomas Bailey Aldrich (; November 11, 1836 – March 19, 1907) was an American writer, poet, critic, and editor. He is notable for his long editorship of ''The Atlantic Monthly'', during which he published writers including Charles W. Chesnutt. ...

, which itself was an adaptation of the Book of Judith. The film was the first

feature Feature may refer to: Computing * Feature (CAD), could be a hole, pocket, or notch * Feature (computer vision), could be an edge, corner or blob * Feature (software design) is an intentional distinguishing characteristic of a software item ...

-length film made by pioneering film company Biograph, although the second that Biograph released. Shortly after its completion and a disagreement Griffith had with Biograph executives on making more future feature-length films, Griffith left Biograph, and took the entire stock company with him. Biograph delayed the picture's release until 1914, after Griffith's departure, so that it would not have to pay him in a profit-sharing agreement they had.

Synopsis

The film is based on the deuterocanonical Book of Judith. During the siege of the Jewish city of Bethulia by the Assyrians, a widow named Judith (

) has a plan to stop the war as her people suffer starvation and are ready to surrender. The widow disguises herself as a harem girl and goes to the enemy camp, where she beguiles a general of King Nebuchadnezzar, whose army is besieging the city. Judith seduces

Holofernes In the deuterocanonical Book of Judith, Holofernes ( grc, Ὀλοφέρνης; he, הולופרנס) was an invading Assyrian general known for having been beheaded by Judith, a Hebrew widow who entered his camp and beheaded him while he was ...

( Henry Walthall), then while he is drunk cuts off his head with a sabre. She returns to her city, a heroine.

Cast

- Judith *

- Holofernes *

Mae Marsh Mae Marsh (born Mary Wayne Marsh; November 9, 1894U.S. Census records for 1900, El Paso, Texas, Sheet No. 6 – February 13, 1968) was an American film actress with a career spanning over 50 years. Early life Mae Marsh was born Mary Wayne M ...

- Naomi *

Robert Harron Robert Emmett Harron (April 12, 1893 – September 5, 1920) was an American motion picture actor of the early silent film era. Although he acted in over 200 films, he is possibly best recalled for his roles in the D.W. Griffith directed film ...

- Nathan * Lillian Gish - The young mother *

Dorothy Gish Dorothy Elizabeth Gish (March 11, 1898June 4, 1968) was an American actress of the screen and stage, as well as a director and writer. Dorothy and her older sister Lillian Gish were major movie stars of the silent era. Dorothy also had great s ...

- The crippled beggar *

Kate Bruce Kate Bruce (February 17, 1860 – April 2, 1946) was an American actress of the silent era. She appeared in more than 280 films between 1908 and 1931. She was born in Columbus, Indiana and died in New York City. In 1885, Bruce left Boone, I ...

- Judith's maid * J. Jiquel Lanoe - Eunuch Attendant *

Harry Carey Harry Carey may refer to: *Harry Carey (actor) (1878–1947), American actor * Harry Carey Jr. (1921–2012), American actor * Harry Carey (footballer) (1916–1991), Australian rules footballer See also * Henry Carey (disambiguation) * Harry Car ...

- Assyrian Traitor *

W. Chrystie Miller William Chrystie Miller (August 10, 1843 – September 23, 1922) was an American silent film actor. He appeared in 139 films between 1908 and 1914. Miller frequently appeared in films directed by D.W. Griffith and was known to film audienc ...

- Bethulian *

Gertrude Robinson Gertrude Robinson (October 7, 1890 – March 19, 1962) was an American actress of the silent era. Biography She appeared in 164 films between 1908 and 1925. She was born in New York City and died in Hollywood, California. She was the fi ...

Charles Hill Mailes Charles Hill Mailes (25 May 1870 – 17 February 1937) was a Canadian actor of the silent era. Biography Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1870, Mailes appeared in 290 films between 1909 and 1935. He married the actress Claire McDowell ...

- Bethulian Soldier * Edward Dillon *

Gertrude Bambrick Gertrude Bambrick (August 24, 1897 – January 10, 1974) was an American actress of the silent era. She appeared in 60 films between 1912 and 1916. Biography Bambrick was married twice. Her first marriage to early film director Marshall Ne ...

- Lead Assyrian Dancer * Lionel Barrymore - Extra * Clara T. Bracy - Bethulian * Kathleen Butler - Bethulian * William J. Butler - Bethulian * Christy Cabanne * William A. Carroll - Assyrian Soldier (as William Carroll) * Frank Evans - Bethulian Soldier *

Mary Gish Mary Robinson Gish ( McConnell; September 16, 1876 – September 17, 1948) was an American actress and the mother of screen stars Lillian and Dorothy Gish. Life Mary Gish was born in Dayton, Ohio, as Mary Robinson McConnell. On January 8, 189 ...

* Harry Hyde - Bethulian Soldier/Assyrian Soldier *

Thomas Jefferson (actor) Thomas Lockyer Jefferson (September 10, 1856 – April 2, 1932) was an American film and stage actor in mostly silent films. Biography He was born to Margaret Clements Lockyer (died 1861) and actor Joseph Jefferson. The '' Burns Mantle Yearbook' ...

* Jennie Lee - Bethulian *

Adolph Lestina Adolph Lestina (1861– August 23, 1923) was an American stage and film actor who was a member of D. W. Griffith's stock company of film actors. Career He received positive notice for his performance in Justin McCarthy's ''If I Were King'' and ...

- Bethulian *

Elmo Lincoln Elmo Lincoln (born Otto Elmo Linkenhelt; February 6, 1889June 27, 1952) was an American stage and film actor whose career in motion pictures spanned the silent and sound eras. He performed in over 100 screen productions between 1913 and 1952 an ...

Antonio Moreno Antonio Garrido Monteagudo (September 26, 1887 – February 15, 1967), better known as Antonio Moreno or Tony Moreno, was a Spanish-born American actor and film director of the silent film era and through the 1950s. Early life and silent fil ...

- Extra * Marshall Neilan * Frank Opperman - Bethulian * Alfred Paget - Bethulian/Assyrian Soldier * W. C. Robinson - Bethulian Soldier * Kate Toncray - One of Judith's Servants

Reviews

The reviews were favorable: ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'', March 27, 1914, wrote: "It is not easy to confess one's self unequal to a given task, but to pen an adequate description of the Biograph's production of 'Judith of Bethulia' is, to say the least, a full grown man's job." ''

The Moving Picture World The ''Moving Picture World'' was an influential early trade journal for the American film industry, from 1907 to 1927. An industry powerhouse at its height, ''Moving Picture World'' frequently reiterated its independence from the film studios. I ...

'', March 7, 1914, described it as: "A fascinating work of high artistry, 'Judith of Bethulia' will not only rank as an achievement in this country, but will make foreign producers sit up and take notice."Judith of Bethulia commentary
/ref>

References

External links

* *
''Judith of Bethulia'' at SilentEra
*
Judith of Bethulia
available for free download a
Internet Archive
{{DEFAULTSORT:Judith Of Bethulia American silent feature films 1914 films American black-and-white films Silent American drama films 1914 drama films Films directed by D. W. Griffith Films about Jews and Judaism Biograph Company films Judith in film Articles containing video clips Films based on the Bible American films based on plays Films with screenplays by Frank E. Woods Films based on adaptations 1910s American films Silent horror films